Some wearable computing devices (e.g., smart watches, activity trackers, heads-up display components) may output ambient screen content (i.e., user interface) for display. The ambient screen content may contain basic information, such as the current time and date. In general, when the display component of the wearable computing device displays the ambient screen content, most pixels of the display component are not illuminated. However, when a wearable computing device receives notification data, the wearable computing device may output interactive screen content for display. The interactive screen content may include an indication of the notification data. For instance, the interactive screen content may include an indication of an incoming voice call, an indication of a text/instant message, an indication of a news alert, or an indication of another event. When the display component displays the interactive screen content, many or all of the pixels of the display component are illuminated. Thus, the interactive screen content may be associated with higher consumption of electrical energy than the ambient screen content. Furthermore, because many or all of the pixels of the display component are illuminated, the user's attention may be drawn to the interactive screen content. When the wearable computing device outputs the interactive screen content for display, the user can view and respond to indications of notification data, issue voice commands to the wearable computing device, and so on.
In addition to generating the interactive screen content for display in response to receiving notification data, the wearable computing device may output the interactive screen content for display in response to receiving an indication that the wearable computing device has moved in a particular way. For instance, the wearable computing device may provide the interactive screen content for display in place of the ambient screen content in response to determining that the wearable computing device has moved in a manner consistent with a movement of the user to align a display component of the wearable computing device with the user's field of view in order to interact with the wearable computing device.
There may be instances where the wearable computing device moves in a particular way, but the user does not intend to interact with the wearable computing device. As a result, the wearable computing device may present the interactive screen content for display without the user of the wearable computing device actually intending to interact with the wearable computing device. Because the interactive screen content is associated with increased consumption of electrical energy, displaying the interactive screen content in instances where the user does not intend to interact with the wearable computing device may result in diminished battery life and increased user distraction.